Christopher Lloyd discussed one of the most famous recasts in Hollywood history, namely Eric Stoltz being fired from Back to the Future and Michael J. Fox replacing him. Stoltz was fired weeks from production because he was apparently not the right fit.

Lloyd, who played Doc Brown in the film series, told GQ he had reservations about the change, in part because it meant he had to refilm the same scenes with a different actor.

“They just decided they needed someone with comedic flair,” Lloyd explained (via The Hollywood Reporter). “Stoltz is a wonderful actor. I had no idea a change was coming.”

Lloyd said he was told in a meeting with producer Steven Spielberg around 1 a.m. on a shooting day that Stoltz would no longer appear in the film.

“My biggest fear, because I was really working to get Doc okay, I thought, ‘I don’t know if I can do this. [all the scenes over] again.’ So I was worried about it. But everything went well,” Lloyd said.

The actor said he had good chemistry with Fox, which made the filming process easier. As for Stoltz, the actor hasn’t spoken publicly about the redesign. He has acted in numerous films over the years, including Pulp Fiction and Mask, among other film and television roles.

Back to the Future was released in 1985, with sequels in 1989 and 1990.